It’s been five years since the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings [completed a trade for enigmatic wide receiver Stefon Diggs](https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2020/3/16/21182915/buffalo-bills-send-first-round-draft-pick-to-minnesota-vikings-for-wr-stefon-diggs). [The Bills sent a package](https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2020/3/17/21183166/how-the-buffalo-bills-trade-for-stefon-diggs-came-together-2020-nfl-free-agency-new-england-patriots) that included a first-round pick to Minneapolis in exchange for Diggs, and both sides probably have reason to believe the trade was a good one.
Let’s dive into the compensation and the return on investment:
Original terms of the Stefon Diggs trade
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* Bills get WR Stefon Diggs, 2020 seventh-round pick
* Vikings get 22nd overall pick in 2020 NFL Draft, 2020 fifth-round pick, 2020 sixth-round pick, 2021 fourth-round pick
The later-round pick numbers hadn’t been set at that time with compensatory picks still up in the air, but the main part of the deal was 22 overall.
Final terms and players of the Stefon Diggs trade
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* Bills get WR Stefon Diggs, 2020 seventh-round pick 239 overall
* Vikings get 22nd overall pick in 2020 NFL Draft, 2020 fifth-round pick 155 overall, 2020 sixth-round pick 201 overall, 2021 fourth-round pick 134
The Vikings used pick 22 to select wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
The Vikings traded pick 155 for a fourth-rounder in 2021 with the Chicago Bears, which became pick 125 overall in 2021. They used that pick on safety Camryn Bynum.
Pick 201 was used in another trade package with the Baltimore Ravens. The Vikings sent 201 and 219 to Baltimore and received pick 225 and a 2021 fifth-round from Baltimore that was originally Pittsburgh’s pick. At 225, Minnesota picked DE Kenny Willekes and the 2021 pick ended up being 168th overall, and they selected TE Zach Davidson.
With their selection from the trade, the Bills drafted cornerback Dane Jackson.
How did the Buffalo Bills do in the Stefon Diggs trade?
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The Bills ended up with two starters from the Stefon Diggs trade, including Diggs. Let’s take a loser look.
### How did Stefon Diggs perform for the Bills?
Diggs really elevated the Bills from a playoff team to a perennial contender in the AFC, and helped take a team without much playoff experience to the next level. His intensity and experience was desperately needed, not to mention his actual stats.
Diggs had two years left on his deal when he was traded and signed two contract extensions with the Bills while in Buffalo. Ultimately, he made $78.9 million in his four seasons with the Bills.
On the field, he caught 445 passes for 5372 yards and 37 touchdowns averaging 81.4 yards per game and topping 1180 yards in every season. He played in nine Bills playoff games, too, with 47 receptions for 600 yards and two touchdowns.
The accolades rolled in, too. He was named to the Pro Bowl in every season with the Bills, first-team All-Pro in 2020 and second-team All-Pro in 2022.
The Bills sent Diggs to the Houston Texans during the 2024 offseason for a trade package that included a second-round pick, so the receiver held his value despite being four years older with a hefty contract.
### How did Dane Jackson perform for the Bills?
Often overlooked in the trade, the Bills drafted a good one in the seventh round. Jackson worked his way up the depth chart and played in five games in his rookie season, starting two. In all, he started 28 games and played in 61 for the Bills, becoming the full-time starter for the 2022 season.
Jackson notched three interceptions, 28 passes defended, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in his time in Buffalo alongside 152 tackles.
He left in 2024 to sign a decent-sized deal with the Panthers but was cut heading into 2025. He ended up back on the Bills roster competing for a starting spot.
How did the Minnesota Vikings do in the Stefon Diggs trade?
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The Vikings used the first-round pick on a superstar, but that’s just part of the trade package. Let’s look at the rest of it.
### How has Justin Jefferson performed for the Vikings?
Jefferson is one of the best players in the league. A two-time first-team All-Pro, he also was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 when he topped 1800 receiving yards. He has four Pro Bowl seasons and was named second-team All-Pro in his first two seasons, too. He finished fifth in MVP voting in 2022.
Despite missing half the season in 2023 with a injury, his numbers are off the charts. In 77 games, he has 495 catches for 7432 yards with 40 touchdowns averaging 96.5 yards per game. He has another 31 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
### How has Camryn Bynum performed for the Vikings?
The other player directly tied to the deal is the safety. By his second second, Bynum was the starter with Minnesota. He has 54 starts in 65 games, now amassing eight interceptions, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 1.5 sacks, and 342 tackles.
He hit free agency for the first tie this offseason and signed a massive deal with the Colts for four years and $60 million.
### How did Kenny Willekes perform for the Vikings?
One of the two players involved in the traded late-round picks, Willekes only played six games for the Vikes.
### How did Zach Davidson perform for the Vikings?
Davidson didn’t ever make his way into a game for Minnesota. He was on the practice squad in 2021 but when he was cut in 2022, he signed with the Bills practice squad. He missed the 2023 season with a knee injury but spent the 2024 season on the practice squad.
He finally played in his first two NFL games with Buffalo when he was elevated for Dalton Kincaid. He caught exactly one NFL pass for five yards. He remains on Buffalo’s 2025 offseason roster.
Who won the Stefon Diggs trade between the Vikings and Bills?
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You have to say that the Vikings came out ahead by getting a much younger and cheaper receiver that has been better than Diggs. They also nabbed a four-year starter at safety with one of the throw-in picks.
However, I think Diggs was a really big part of the Bills’ ascension and the maturation of Josh Allen. Buffalo’s young QB and team in general also benefited very much from Diggs’ presence and then the Bills also got a high pick in return for trading him later.
The Vikings many have won the trade, but the Bills also got a really good return on their investment.